Black Blue Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 4
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In Black & Blue Tony gets fired from his illustrious job by someone unknown in an even higher position. This was expected from many hints in the previous book. Kate goes though a lot of emotions but the pair eventually communicate and end up in a good place.
With Tony stuck at home Kate gets to play a bigger role than usual in catching the suspect in this story. The mystery was good but for me it took second place to the domestic dr
I am loving this series - not sure why but it just intrigues me!In Black & Blue Tony gets fired from his illustrious job by someone unknown in an even higher position. This was expected from many hints in the previous book. Kate goes though a lot of emotions but the pair eventually communicate and end up in a good place.
With Tony stuck at home Kate gets to play a bigger role than usual in catching the suspect in this story. The mystery was good but for me it took second place to the domestic dramas which included adopting a young nephew and fending off unpleasant relations.
The ending was such that I want to start the next book immediately which I will probably do since books 4 and 5 come under one cover. I am off to start it right now:)
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The cast includes:
Lord Anthony Hetheridge, fixture heading one of Scotland Yard's most successful murder investigation teams.
"Paul" and "Kate," members of that team
Paul's mother, with whom Paul lives, a now popular writer of murder/romance fiction
Mrs. Snell, Hetheridge's Scotland Yard "gatekeeper"
DCI Jacks
The cast includes:
Lord Anthony Hetheridge, fixture heading one of Scotland Yard's most successful murder investigation teams.
"Paul" and "Kate," members of that team
Paul's mother, with whom Paul lives, a now popular writer of murder/romance fiction
Mrs. Snell, Hetheridge's Scotland Yard "gatekeeper"
DCI Jackson, a tormentor of Hetheridge's team
Sir Duncan Godington, a sociopath-murderer who has yet to be brought to justice.
The murder of a shady art dealer brings them all together.
This book is a vast improvement on #3. Primarily because Jameson is willing to take liberties with the caricatures she has created in the previous books.
You are going to be disappointed if you are looking for a plot-driven mystery. The mystery takes a back seat to the uncomfortable context among the characters. Do you care whether Paul can successfully carry on a dating life while living with his mother? Do you care whether Kate can keep custody of her nephew, Henry, as her sister emerges from rehab? Do you care if Tony, having married Kate, can make the transition from loner to successful head of a household?
If not, skip the entire series. I believe that Jameson mostly succeeds, and if she didn't backslide a bit in the final pages, this would rate 4*.
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Glad I popped back in to check on the "odd couple" of policing at Scotland Yard but was not enamored by the various flamboyant characters. A murder in their own posh neighborhood, oh my.
[for a policing couple solving crime I prefer the Anne Cleeland series of "Doyle & Acton"]
99 cents for the Kindle on Amazon today
I think I liked the three earlier books a tad more than I enjoyed this one several years later. I found this to be a strange mixture of unrest in various forms on several fronts.Glad I popped back in to check on the "odd couple" of policing at Scotland Yard but was not enamored by the various flamboyant characters. A murder in their own posh neighborhood, oh my.
[for a policing couple solving crime I prefer the Anne Cleeland series of "Doyle & Acton"]
99 cents for the Kindle on Amazon today
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What I didn't expect is that DCI Jackson will turn out like a reasonable guy! And will join the squad rather nicely!
Here the crime solving takes a back seat from all the problems Tony and Kate, and even Paul, will be forced to face!
But, all in all, I enjooyed all of it! :)
... and, like I suspected, Tony is forced to retire from Scotland Yard and DCI Jackson takes his place!What I didn't expect is that DCI Jackson will turn out like a reasonable guy! And will join the squad rather nicely!
Here the crime solving takes a back seat from all the problems Tony and Kate, and even Paul, will be forced to face!
But, all in all, I enjooyed all of it! :)
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The mystery was boring and all the banter
I had high hopes for this latest installment in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge series. Sadly, "Black and Blue" was more of same. In this installment, the author amps up the stereotypes with the gruff ole Texan cowboy as the boyfriend of the annoying British-Indian mother. Deepal (Paul) and his mother are evolving into campy stereotypes and now his father, Haresh, is plopped into the story as another annoying character. Sir Duncan hovers as the evil villain.The mystery was boring and all the bantering had me flipping pages in order to push myself to finish the book. Kate, her brother, and nephew are settled into Tony's ancestral home, complete with a butler, a nanny, and fancy cars. However, one of their neighbors has been murdered, an art dealer who has built a monstrosity of a home and who is viscerally disliked by his neighbors. Sharada's Texan boyfriend is arrested for the murder and Paul pulls another unprofessional and inappropriate move by not removing himself form the case.
In the meantime, marrying Kate has serious consequences for Tony. His superiors at Scotland Yard (in a move give the boot to detectives viewed as dinosaurs) uses the marriage of his subordinate and many missteps of Deepal as cause to force Tony off the force and into involuntary retirement.
The story could have veered into a great secondary plot when Tony decided to start his own investigative agency, with Mrs. Snell as his assistant. But the story focused more on the ridiculous romance between Sharada Bhar and her Texan and on Kate's resentful mother and sister trying to ruin Kate's good fortune.
So far this series has been an inexpensive, light read that's thin on mystery and heavy of drama. I'm not sure if the author has any more books planned in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge series but "Black and Blue" may well be my last book in this series.
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The series has a charm and a sense of fun. It is much more focused on the characters than the crimes they solve. Tony and Kate are newlyweds and the new marriage is causing some issues at home and at work. Some of the people at Scotland Yard are not happy with the marriage and
I have really enjoyed this series featuring Tony and Kate as they solve crimes for Scotland Yard and adjust to their relationship. The cast of characters continues to grow but your favorites make their appearances as well.The series has a charm and a sense of fun. It is much more focused on the characters than the crimes they solve. Tony and Kate are newlyweds and the new marriage is causing some issues at home and at work. Some of the people at Scotland Yard are not happy with the marriage and they have been letting Tony know their feelings. He has kept it all from Kate and it is now hitting the fan. They also are dealing with her mother and sister who are enjoying the publicity that is coming their way and using poor Henry as a tool to make Kate and Tony look bad.
This time a neighbor is murdered and the suspect has a connection to them. The victim is not a nice man and enjoys dating married women as well as being involved in the drug trade so he has more than one enemy. His former sister-in-law is quite a character and a strong suspect as well.
The ending makes me excited for the next story for them all. There are a lot of changes to come.
I received a copy in return for a honest review
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The Hetheridges has become one of my favorite "British Mystery" series. Subtle humor and great characters. This book contains some very real surprises re the changing lives of the key characters. Initially quite unwanted by this reader but they turned out to be terrific for broadening the story line.
Delightful new twistsThe Hetheridges has become one of my favorite "British Mystery" series. Subtle humor and great characters. This book contains some very real surprises re the changing lives of the key characters. Initially quite unwanted by this reader but they turned out to be terrific for broadening the story line.
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Cantankerous relatives of New Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield,
A nudge from the cousin who introduced me to this wonderful series that a new one, the 7th, is now available reminded me that I've read just three of the books despite loving them. So, I vowed to carve out some time to catch up, starting with this, the 4th. Honestly, it's not my favorite of the bunch so far, but it's still very good and kept me wanting to read more about Lord and Lady Hetheridge (a.k.a. Tony and Kate).Cantankerous relatives of New Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, wife of Anthony Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent for the Yard and Kate's boss, are making things miserable at their Mayfair home - even Tony's manservant, Harvey, is having a hard time keeping the peace. When the dead body of modern art dealer Granville Hardwick turns up at his garish home in a posh neighborhood, it's almost a relief that Tony and Kate can get away from the chaos - much of which centers around Kate's sister Maura's son Henry, who's been living with the Hetheridges.
Kate and Tony are handling the murder investigation with help from some characters from previous books including Paul Bahr, who's now living with his romance-book writing mother. She's going a bit bonkers because, as it turns out, her new boyfriend is the prime suspect in the murder.
Action heats up in both the home and murder case situations until both are brought to an end (no, I won't reveal details of either). Meanwhile, Tony is taking heat of a different sort that could well result in major changes to both his professional and personal life. All told? Another good one. I do, however, advise those new to the series not start with this one lest they become a bit confused. As for me, I'm already hoping to get started on the next one.
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But the real reason for three stars is (view spoiler)[I don't want to read about the "redemption" of a character who sexually a
The pacing on this one wasn't great, especially considering even as i'm writing this review, I'm asking myself, "I DID finish this, right?????" There was a lot of personal stuff at the beginning (view spoiler)[with Kate's family (hide spoiler)], which just didn't get enough payoff. I know these storylines will continue, but it felt like they just got DROPPED in this one.But the real reason for three stars is (view spoiler)[I don't want to read about the "redemption" of a character who sexually assaulted the main character! I don't think Jameson did a bad job of it (he's not automatically forgiven! He understood there's no excuse for what he did) and I'd be willing to go with this story--he's an alcoholic who is now in recovery--if he'd just been an unpleasant, vindictive character without the sexual assault and I do believe in the possibility of forgiveness and redemption in general! But it's not something I want in my fiction right now. (hide spoiler)]
Owned ebook 2/2 for the month
Overall owned book 3/5 for the month
If you haven't read the previous 3 books in this series, there are enough continuity references that this book can stand alone; however, read them in order, as you'll enjoy watching these characters grow as their roles and responsibilities develop. Oh, and there's a good mystery at the heart of this story as well!
These Characters Continue to GrowIf you haven't read the previous 3 books in this series, there are enough continuity references that this book can stand alone; however, read them in order, as you'll enjoy watching these characters grow as their roles and responsibilities develop. Oh, and there's a good mystery at the heart of this story as well!
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Supervillains, irritating Texan, resentful family, and not a great storyline.
It got three stars instead of two because I was feeling generous.
I must say I didn't enjoy this book as well as the others. It lulled a bit and didn't hold me. I trudged through it in respect of the other books. I'm glad I didn't pay it.
OkI must say I didn't enjoy this book as well as the others. It lulled a bit and didn't hold me. I trudged through it in respect of the other books. I'm glad I didn't pay it.
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As Tony and Kate are dealing with Kate's family issues, they are thrown into a murder investigation close to home. An wealthy artist, living on Tony's street was brutally killed in his home and the guy who presumably did it while heavily liquored is not only at the scene he also called his girlfriend for help (after informing the police of the murder) and she is no other than Sharada Bhar - DS Deepal "Paul" Bhar's mother. These two, together or alone were killing me, I was Laughing Out Loud at their useless banter and Sharada turning up not a half bad detective!
Naturally Paul is banned from the investigation but he has other issues to deal with - other family members as well as finally realizing what the "black dog" means.. It's not what he thought.. Tony had his own encounter with the dog - his reaction was PRICELESS. Yet don't think this means we get less of Paul because he isn't SUPPOSE to be a part of the team, he does his best under the radar, helping Kate, Tony and another surprising officer to solve the case. There's a lot going on in New Scotland yard. Which lead to us getting a different and a very enjoyable side of Mrs. Snell! (I loved her from the start so it was really a treat!) I won't say a thing more not to spoiler.. There is still too much unknown at this point.. but I have a feeling the one behind it all is known to us. I enjoyed getting another side to a character we learned to despise in the previous installments. I'm not sure if he redeemed himself entirely, but he does present a much better side of himself and he seems to be struggling to keep it up.
Kate and Tony's relationship change and develop in this one due to the changes in their lives like Henry's mother wanting custody of her kid - the one Kate have been taking care of for years now. Henry and Richie both came to love and appreciate Tony, and naturally they have no reason to want to leave Kate who were their only family for most of their lives. Living with Tony only makes it better (Richie can watch "Lego World" any time he wants since he doesn't hog the ONLY TV at the house ;)).
All in all a great installment, as I've said, the best one in my mind. I love the way the relationship between all characters have progressed throughout the books, and how much MORE we get about the supporting characters around them. I know Emma is working on the 5th installment (which was suppose to be released already actually) but I do hope she'll keep writing more and more because this series is a fun reprieve from my usual go-to romance novels. Who would have thought I'd find myself reading mysteries? Like in many cases in which I veer from my usual reads it's always about a great author with fantastic writing who can make me read right about anything. So thanks Emma for being so great and making me step out of my comfort zone.
Till the next one(s) :)
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And then slightly less than halfway through the book a dramatic event occurs that is done so implausibly that I threw in the towel!
SPOILER: I could not believe from the get-go that Kate and Tony would be allowed to continue to work together after marrying. As soon as they announced their intentions, Kate or Tony would have been transferred immediately. But then, AFTER they return from their honeymoon and are back working, for the brass to send Tony a letter firing him and giving him a week to leave to is just ridiculous. I do not care how many people he ticked off, there would be a process before terminating him.
On to something better.... ...more
Now here's the thing, if you're looking for pure mystery fare, stop. Jameson is more focused on these characters and that works so well for this happy reader.
"Of course I know her. I follow her on Twitter."
"Does she follow you back?"
"No, but last week she retweeted my retweet. We're like this." Sharada held up crossed fingers.
Oh, and the mystery was good too.
I found this book full of wit and laughs and my favourite in the series so far. The dialogue between Paul and his mother was especially funny."Of course I know her. I follow her on Twitter."
"Does she follow you back?"
"No, but last week she retweeted my retweet. We're like this." Sharada held up crossed fingers.
Oh, and the mystery was good too.
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Kate is a working woman, with a nephew and brother to look after and nurture. Her sister and mother now appear on the scene like avenging angels, out to look after their kin whom they have ignored upto now. The children themsel
I like the old fashioned detection - I like the modern versions too but somehow when a Lord is the detective in question, and his assistant is his wife 30 odd years his junior whom he married after being a bachelor for ever so long, it does add a piquancy to the equation.Kate is a working woman, with a nephew and brother to look after and nurture. Her sister and mother now appear on the scene like avenging angels, out to look after their kin whom they have ignored upto now. The children themselves do not want to go with them as they see through them, but Kate and Hetheridge do know that legally they are on a very thin wicket. The third party in this is Paul Bihar of Indian descent who lives with his mother. His mother Sharadha is very much part of this story as it is her partner who is now the chief suspect in the murder of Gran Hardwick. Although both Kate and Wetheridge, Paul and his mother realise that Buck is not the murderer in this case, the circumstances and events are all against him and it is upto all of them to prove otherwise.
Funny at times, and so realistic about families and how divided they can be the story apart from detection is one of relationships of many different kinds. Wetheridge getting to accept that he likes children, never having had any, enjoying his marriage despite bets to the contrary and Kate trying very hard to pursue her career knowing that it has been to the detriment of her husband.
The setting and people in the story are very aptly described and added great interest to the read.
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Of all the 'blue' Lord Hetheridge mysteries, this one was the most satisfying. All the more satisfying (character-wise) if you've progressed along the ups and downs of their lives, in the previous b
If you're a fan of mysteries, I hope you'll read Emma Jameson's series (in order, is best) ... if you're like me, you gobble up a great series and I'm thrilled I stumbled upon Emma's books. I find her characters superior to many other mystery writers, so I think you'll enjoy jumping into their lives.Of all the 'blue' Lord Hetheridge mysteries, this one was the most satisfying. All the more satisfying (character-wise) if you've progressed along the ups and downs of their lives, in the previous books.
Happy reading, mystery lovers!
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To make the story even more incestuous as it was the murder suspect is Paul's mother's boyfriend, and Paul is Kate's work partner. And her estranged husband is lurking around accusing Tony
This is the 4th and perhaps final book in the Lord & Lady Hetheridge series. Now Kate and Tony are married and her crazy sister and nasty mother are raising Cain about trying to see her nephew, the Yard is pressuring CS Hetheridge to solve his new nepotism problem and one of their neighbors has been murdered.To make the story even more incestuous as it was the murder suspect is Paul's mother's boyfriend, and Paul is Kate's work partner. And her estranged husband is lurking around accusing Tony of nefarious affairs.
Fast paced and clever.
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The beginning of the book was mainly a 'domestic drama' with Kate and her family, but the author just seemed to forget about this by the end of the book.
Also I wish the author would stop dragging 'Godlington' into these books?
Poor Kate will never get away from her slug mother & nasty sister! And even poorer is Henry. I'm sure he'll wriggle away from his past if he can avoid hiss mum and grandmum, but he also a fighter like his aunt Kate, so with Lord Hetheridge & Kate plus Harvey & Ms Snel he'll be okay. Perhaps Hetheridge should send the in-laws on an extended trip to the Caribbean? Hummm they'll love it so much they'll never want to come back! As for poor Paul I believe he has a stalker with an enormous b
Fantastic!Poor Kate will never get away from her slug mother & nasty sister! And even poorer is Henry. I'm sure he'll wriggle away from his past if he can avoid hiss mum and grandmum, but he also a fighter like his aunt Kate, so with Lord Hetheridge & Kate plus Harvey & Ms Snel he'll be okay. Perhaps Hetheridge should send the in-laws on an extended trip to the Caribbean? Hummm they'll love it so much they'll never want to come back! As for poor Paul I believe he has a stalker with an enormous black dog named Kaiser. It awfully strange how it keeps turning up places he's either going to or is already there. Then when the owner comes along it reasonable to see it's no accident he's seeing this bad omen of a big black dog. That's a revelation in itself, & why is he being stalked? To what purpose can this man be taunting DS Bher? Plus his poor mum is beside herself with Buck being the main suspect in the murder of an art dealer slash ugly geek. Great book lots of twists and new beginnings for the Hetheridges, not to mention Paul, his mum, his dad maybe, and a strange little witness who just wants her cat to be safe from drug dealing neighbors. Lest not forget Vic Jackson! Wow! What a complete turn around for him, and just in time because I believe if he kept up his disgusting ways he'd either be sacked of have a heart attack from eating so many powered donuts & ale (beer basically). Hope you try the series I believe that you'll love it. There's also allot of police procedural in this book also just to give you a heads up that it's not all just the mystery. Enjoy!!
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But, one of their neighbors has been murdered. It is Granville Hardwick who is an art dealer. He lives in a hous Lord Tony Hetheridge is a Chief Superintendent at Scotland Yard. He is married to Kate, a detective at Scotland Yard. He is in his 60's and she is not. They married quickly and they are very much in love. Her brother. Richie, who is disabled lives with them. Her nephew, Henry, who is a 9 year old boy also lives with them. They all live in Mayfair in a large house on a very posh street.
But, one of their neighbors has been murdered. It is Granville Hardwick who is an art dealer. He lives in a house that is considered an eyesore among the neighbors. He is considered to be a jerk.
This is a mystery populated by very interesting characters.
Kate's mother and sister are women who are determined to ruin Kate's life. They are resentful of her because she is a hard worker who has become successful in her work for Scotland Yard. They are also angry because Henry wants to stay with Kate and Tony rather than return to a mother who abandoned him.
Tony walks a fine line in order to be fair to all the police staff and not show favoritism to his wife. The reader gets to know some of his staff members and they are very interesting people. They have problems in their lives and they are in competition for better positions in the department. It is evident that Scotland Yard is populated by very interesting policemen.
The neighbors who all had reason to despise the victim provide the reader with a variety of possible suspects. Not only was his house a bone of contention with the neighbors, but he was sleeping with most of the wives in the neighborhood.
There are other secondary characters who add to the color and texture of the story. Not everyone in England is playing with a full deck.
This mystery is a good one. There are steps along the way which lead the reader on a journey to find the murderer. It is a very entertaining journey.
This is the 4th book in a series. I have not read any of the other books, but I could follow the events and characters without too much trouble.
Ms Jameson has created a place and time which is populated by characters who entertain and make turning the pages an adventure. ...more
An intelligent and humorous read, my only regret is that #5 has not yet been published!
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